


Bittersweet Reunions

by NilesDaughter



Series: Dragon Age Drunk Writing Circle [35]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 19:03:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14455770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NilesDaughter/pseuds/NilesDaughter
Summary: Tamlen was the last person Ranalle expected to see.





	Bittersweet Reunions

The sound of battle woke Ranalle in an instant. Knowing it would take too long to put on her armor or string her bow, she grabbed her twin daggers from beside her pillow and pushed her way out of her tent. Almost instantly, she found herself face to face with a shriek. Her body responded almost of its own accord and she made a swipe with her blade, slicing through its throat; she wasted no time in moving on to the next target.

After a few wild moments of confusion, with blades clashing and the sounds of dying darkspawn combining in a violent cacophony, Ranalle and her companions managed to gain the upper hand despite the surprise attack. In almost no time at all, the battle ended as suddenly as it started.

Ranalle straightened up, chest heaving, and cast a quick glance around the campsite. Her companions were beginning to relax, some looking more disheveled than others due to the suddenness of everything.

Out of the corner of her eye, Ranalle saw one last darkspawn slinking by Sten. Again feeling as if her body acted before her brain, she threw one of her daggers at the creature. The blade hit true, sinking into its chest. The darkspawn fell to its knees, but still seemed to be alive. Tightening her grip on her remaining dagger, she strode across the camp to finish it off.

Once she reached it, she paused for a moment, frowning. This creature did not look like a normal shriek, all hunched over with too-long limbs. This creature still looked like a normal elf, albeit with a reddish-purple hue to its skin. While she hesitated to take the killing blow, the creature let out a gurgling breath and finally hit the ground. That broke her out of her reverie and Ranalle knelt down to finish it off. As she and the darkspawn locked eyes, she froze.

“Oh, Creators… _Tamlen_?”

The response was raspy, almost guttural, but it was familiar. “I…hoped you would never…see me like this… _lethallan_ …”

“ _Fenedhis_!” She dropped the dagger in her hand and moved to put pressure at the wound, though she feared removing that blade. Her vision blurred and she blinked rapidly in an attempt to preemptively stop the tears from flowing.

“Oh, Tamlen…I never thought I’d see you again,” she whispered.

“End it…Please, _lethallan_. The song…it’s unbearable…It wants…He wants…” He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can’t hurt you…”

She shook her head, choking on her words as she replied, “You can’t ask that of me.” She had lost him once before, and she was loathe to do it again. Swallowing thickly, she continued, “I-it’s just taint. It can be cured. We can fix this.”

His expression was mournful as he met her gaze. “‘S too late…”

“No! I can help you. Please, _lethallin_ , let me help!”

He reached up to clasp his hands around hers, their intertwined fingers slick with his blood.

“Kill me.”

She blinked furiously, but this time, the hot tears began to roll down her cheeks. She shook her head even more. “No…No, I can’t do it.”

“You…can…” Adjusting his grip on her hands, he moved them to the handle of the dagger still protruding from his chest. Before she could react, he let out a grunt and pushed, forcing their joined hands to sink the blade in deeper.

A strangled cry escaped her mouth, and she quickly drew her hands away. She watched helplessly as Tamlen’s hands fell to his sides, his body still fighting to draw in breath even as he stared unseeingly at the stars above him.

“Ran…allle…”

“Wh-what?”

“I…always…loved you…” With that, his final breath left him.

Ranalle screamed, hardly caring if she drew the attention of more danger. She grabbed at Tamlen’s lifeless hands, pressing them close to her heart. She soon abandoned them, and instead reached out to cradle his body to her chest, rocking back and forth as she bowed her head. She was aware of her companions awkwardly milling about behind her, but paid them no heed. Instead, she continued to hold onto Tamlen as sobs racked through her whole body.

“ _Tel’suledin_ ,” she whispered. “ _Tel’suledin, ma vhenan. Ar lath, bellanaris._ ”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on what little we know of the elven language in DA, I made up tel’suledin to mean “I cannot endure.”


End file.
